Pakistan: Reconstruction of National Highway N-5 under Pakistan's Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework Project - Phase 1A (the “Project”)

proposed

The Reconstruction of National Highway N-5 under Pakistan's Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Framework Project aims to enhance the climate resilience, operational efficiency, and road safety by reconstructing and upgrading critical four-lane segments into a climate-resilient six-lane dual carriageway. AIIB's financing (referred as the “Multi-phase Program” or “MPP”) encompasses the reconstruction of four sections of N-5, totaling 213 kilometers (km) across Islamabad Capital Territory, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Sindh provinces, and the reconstruction of two 1-kilometer-long bridges in Sindh province. The MPP aligns with the Phase 1 of the National Highway Authority (NHA) of Pakistan's 20-year, four-phase plan to rebuild and expand this critical national infrastructure. Within this broader MPP framework, the Phase 1A Project (the “Project”) focuses on two key sections of N-5, covering a total of 75 km: Rawalpindi to Burhan (44 km) and Nowshera to Peshawar (31 km), alongside the reconstruction of the Nai Baran Bridge located southwest of Hyderabad in Sindh province. The Phase 1B project will focus on another two key sections of N-5, covering a total of 138 km: Lahore to Gujranwala (68 km) in Punjab province and Ranipur to Rohri (70 km) in Sindh province, alongside the reconstruction of the Indus River Bridge at Hyderabad in Sindh province. The Phase 1B project will be prepared and approved later than the Phase 1A Project after meeting certain criteria. The Phase 1A Project consists of three components: (1) civil works to reconstruct two sections of N-5 (Rawalpindi - Burhan, and Nowshera - Peshawar) and the Nai Baran Bridge; (2) design review and construction supervision consultant; and (3) baseline cost such as resettlement of informal users, environmental and social (ES) management, and government fees and permits.  The AIIB has mobilized a USD2 million Project Preparation Special Fund (PPSF) grant to strengthen the preparation of the Project and the MPP by enhancing climate resilience, safety, ES assessments, and digital project management capabilities. This Project represents the Bank's first standalone project in Pakistan's transport sector.